Yishai Spez, a member of the emergency response team in the Moshav Yated, was behind the discovery of a terror tunnel that was found a few days ago. In an interview with Arutz Sheva, he explained that he was not surprised by the discovery of the tunnel.
He made these remarks during a tour led by the "Path to Revival" movement in the Gaza Envelope communities. He immediately emphasized that the tunnels are a major concern for residents since they still penetrate the "yellow line," the new boundary established by the IDF. "There is much more hidden than revealed when it comes to the tunnels, and we are very concerned about this."
In light of these concerns, residents of the Gaza Envelope are demanding a shift in the military's approach to the security challenge faced by Israelis living in close proximity to Gaza. "When you see this with your own eyes and walk down these paths, you can't be mistaken; you understand how tangible and real this threat is as long as Kalashnikovs are present in the Gaza Strip, and they are the ones who carried out the October 7 attacks."
Regarding the tunnel threat, Spaz mentions the complexity of the IDF's handling of this issue, which has persisted for a long time due to its complexity. "Hamas has techniques to prevent us from reaching all the tunnels," he says, describing the ongoing learning process as each tunnel discovered unveils more tunnel paths.
Spaz also notes that Hamas operatives beyond the "yellow line" are continuing to arm themselves. He is aware of the shifting descriptions by security officials about the state of Hamas. Initially, the narrative was that Hamas was weakened, then that it had recovered, and now it is being said that Hamas has strengthened. "The understanding is that, while some territory was taken from them, they are growing stronger beyond the fence. This brings us back to the principle that 'the defense line will always be breached.' As long as Hamas is on the other side of the fence, the yellow line is irrelevant. We need to be a strong army facing a weak enemy that is not growing stronger."
Addressing life in the Gaza Envelope communities, Spaz says, "The residents of the Gaza Envelope have returned with their full strength and resilience to the area. The population has grown by 3,000 people, and everything has returned to life. But within every resident, there is still trauma, and there is difficulty and an understanding that not everything is safe here. It is the responsibility of the state, the government, and the military leadership to get us to a place of safety as soon as possible."